Hair removal describes any method of removing hair, especially from the human body.

• Depilation affects the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving. Another popular option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength, making the hair disintegrate.

• Epilation removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin and is therefore longer-lasting. Some individuals may use waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers.

Reasons for removing hair

Hair removal has been practised for centuries in almost all human cultures. The methods used vary among times and regions, but shaving is the most common method.

Medical reasons

In Ancient Egypt, many people depilated their entire bodies to prevent infestation by lice, fleas, and other parasites. Given the absence of insecticides, this custom seems less bizarre.

Patients' body hair was once shaved before surgery for reasons of hygiene; however, this turned out to be counterproductive ^[1] and, as a result, in many hospitals patients are no longer shaved. The shaving of hair has sometimes been used in attempts to eradicate lice or to minimize body odor due to accumulation of odor-causing micro-organisms in hair. Some people with trichiasis find it medically necessary to remove ingrown eyelashes. Incorrect shaving (shaving against the grain) can often cause ingrown hairs.

Many forms of cancer require chemotherapy, which often causes severe and irregular hair loss. For this reason, it is common for cancer patients to shave their heads even before starting chemotherapy.

Social, cultural, or sexual reasons

Hair is normally removed for social and sexual reasons related to the social role of hair in human society. Many cultures have an aesthetic "ideal" amount of hair for males and females. People whose hair violates such standards may experience real or perceived problems with social acceptance.

Many men in Western cultures shave their facial hair, so only a minority of men have a beard, even though fast-growing facial hair must be shaved daily to achieve a clean-shaven or hairless look. Some men shave because they cannot grow a "full" beard (generally defined as an even density from cheeks to neck), because beard color is different from scalp hair color, or because it grows in many directions, making a groomed look difficult. Some men shave because their beards are very coarse, causing itchiness and irritation. Some men grow a beard from time to time to change their appearance.

In many cultures, particularly North American and Western European, it became increasingly common during the 20th century [1] for women to remove some or all of their body hair, due to societal values that consider it unattractive and/or not feminine (see gender role), or as a matter of practising good hygiene. Women may also remove some or all of their pubic hair for aesthetic or sexual reasons. Adult film stars are well known for this practice. Men may also practice this, but not as commonly. In a sexual context, pubic hair removal is done to increase visual exposure of the genitalia and/or facilitate access to the genital area by removing the barrier of hair.

Some women in Western cultures choose not to remove hair from their bodies as an act of defiance against what they believe to be an oppressive ritual. Others choose not to remove hair simply because they have no desire to.

Some men shave their heads, either as a fashion statement, to cover up male pattern baldness, or to attain enhanced cooling of the skull (particularly for people suffering from hyperhidrosis). A much smaller number of women also shave their heads as fashion or political statements.

Some women also shave their heads for cultural or social reasons. In India, tradition requires widows to shave their heads as part of being ostracized, although the practice is considered a rural one and the government is working to end the practice of ostracizing widows.^[2]

In art paintings or carvings from ancient times, one can often see women portrayed with no pubic hair: pubic hair was linked to sexual acts and desires in the general mindset, and thus it was deemed improper and impure in a public painting. This may have influenced aesthetic views regarding the matter as well.^[3]

Male-to-female gender reassignment

Male-to-Female Transsexual women who are preparing for Genital Reassignment Surgery (GRS) usually remove their facial beard hair, typically either by electrolysis or laser, or a combination of the two procedures. While this is commonly done entirely before surgery, some patients will start the procedure before surgery, and finish a few months to several years afterwards, often due to cost.

In addition, it is recommended by some surgeons that part of the pubic hair be removed prior to surgery as well, usually by electrolysis. Since the neovagina is created using the skin of the penis and part of the scrotum, which usually has active follicles, the hair is removed from these areas prior to surgery, in order for the genitals to be fashioned without the concern of hair growth inside of the neovagina. In some cases, the surgeon scrapes the underside of the skin to remove the follicles at or near the beginning of the surgery, eliminating any need for pre-surgical hair removal.

For religious reasons

Head-shaving is a part of some Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jain and Hindu traditions. Buddhist and Christian monks generally undergo some form of head-shaving during their ordination; in Thailand monks shave their eyebrows as well. Brahmin children have their heads ritualistically shaved before beginning school.

In some parts of the Theravada Buddhist world, it is common practice to shave the heads of children. Weak or sickly children are often left with a small topknot of hair, to gauge their health and mark them for special treatment. When health improves, the lock is cut off.

The Bahá'í religion explicitly prohibits head-shaving. In Judaism, the shaving of certain parts of the head (peot) using a metal blade against the skin is forbidden, however, electric razors may be used, since the actual cutting blade never touches the skin. Sikhs take an even stronger stance, opposing all forms of hair removal. One of the Sikh "Five Ks" is Kesh, meaning "uncut hair". To Sikhs, the maintenance and management of long hair is a manifestation of one's piety.

Muslim law (Sharia) puts hair in three categories: that which it is recommended to remove (pubic and armpit hair), that which it is recommended to keep (the beard), and that which is the object of limited recommendation (foot, hand, back, and chest hair). Removal of armpit and pubic hair is a hygienic practice which was taught by Muhammad and which was enumerated as having been part of practices conforming to man's premortal (Fitrah) nature. On the other hand, shaving or removing part of the eyebrows is forbidden as the "modification of the creation of Allah and obedience to Satan in his work to fool men and bring them to modify the creation of Allah." Stray hairs between the eyebrows may be removed, but not the hairs of the eyebrows. A male may trim or cut hair on his head - however shaving of the head is forbidden in some branches of the religion. A male may trim hair on the chest and back but may not remove it, as this is considered to be imitating women. In contrast, women are permitted to remove hair from these areas.^[4]

In military institutions

A close-cropped or completely shaven haircut is common in military organizations. In field environments, soldiers are susceptible to infestation of lice, ticks, and fleas. Also, due to hectic operations schedules, time allowed for personal hygiene and grooming is highly curtailed or even absent. The practice serves to cultivate a group oriented environment through the process of removing exterior signs of individuality. In addition short hair is also more difficult for an enemy to grab hold of in hand to hand combat. In many militaries, head-shaving is mandatory for males upon induction training. However, even after the initial recruitment phase, when head-shaving is no longer required, many soldiers maintain a completely or partially shaven hairstyle (such as a "high and tight", "flattop" or "buzz cut") for personal convenience and an exterior symbol of military solidarity. Head-shaving is not required of females in military service, although they must have their hair cut or tied to regulation length.

In one dramatic scene in the movie "G.I. Jane", Lt Jordan O'Neill (Demi Moore), who is determined to get into an elite commando unit, sneaks into the base barbershop after hours and shears off her thick black hair with an electric clipper, then shaves her head completely bald. This is apparently to show her determination to face any challenge that male commando-trainees must face; it is also a mark of solidarity with the group she wants to join. She is explicitly giving up any expectation of chivalrous treatment by men.

Many military organizations also require males to maintain clean-shaven faces because facial hair can prevent an air-tight seal between the face and breathing or safety equipment, such as a pilot's oxygen mask, a diver's mask, or a soldier's gas mask. However, the concerns of personal hygiene apply as above.

Alternatively, Foreign Legion Sappers have traditionally worn beards as a sign of their rank and experience, similarly the the Imperial Guard of the Grande Armee were allowed to grow beards as a sign of their prized position. European armies before (and to some extent during) the Napoleonic wars allowed soldiers to grow and lacquer pigtails, sometimes held in place by bone combs or regimental colour ribbons or bows. In the pre-Napoleonic era, the wearing of wigs, even within the ranks was commonplace, though impractical in such places as India and the Americas. Selous Scouts, once through training and induction were expressly forbidden from cutting their hair in any way that might indicate that they were soldiers, allowing them to engage in anti-insurgency warfare amongst the rural population of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Tolerance of Sikh religious beliefs with regards to hair and beards has for some time been commonplace in most armies of former British colonies.

As punishment

In some situations, people's hair is shaved as a punishment. Before World War II, the Nazis would cut off the beards of Jews as a prelude to other forms of abuse.

After World War II, head-shaving was a common punishment in France and Norway for women who had collaborated with the Nazis during the occupation, and, in particular, for women who had "collaborated" sexually. ^[5]

During the Vietnam War, conservative students would sometimes attack student radicals or "hippies" by shaving beards or cutting long hair. One notorious incident occurred at Stanford University, when unruly fraternity members grabbed Resistance founder (and student-body president) David Harris, cut off his long hair, and shaved his beard.

In Arab countries, shaving off head-hair is sometimes used to shame and humiliate male prisoners.

Body areas where hair is often removed

Hair grows on all areas of the human body except for the palms of the hands, the lips, certain areas of the genital structure and the soles of the feet. But hair is most noticeable in most people in a small number of areas that are most commonly waxed, trimmed, plucked, or shaved: namely, the

Hair removal methods

Many products on the market have proven fraudulent. Many other products exaggerate the results or ease of use.

Temporary

"Depilation" lasting several hours to several days can be achieved by

• Shaving or trimming (manually or with electric shavers)
• Depilatories (creams or "shaving powders" which chemically dissolve hair)
• Friction (rough surfaces used to buff away hair)

"Epilation" lasting several days to several weeks can be achieved by

• Plucking (hairs are plucked, or pulled out, with tweezers or with fingers)
• Waxing (a hot or cold layer is applied and then removed with porous strips)
• Sugaring (similar to waxing, but with a sticky paste)
• Threading (also called fatlah or khite, in which a twisted thread catches hairs as it is rolled across the skin)
• Epilators (devices that rapidly grasp hairs and pull them out by the root)

Permanent

Permanent hair removal involves several imperfect options. A number of methods have been developed that use chemicals, energy of varying types, or a combination to target the areas that regulate hair growth. Permanently destroying these areas while sparing surrounding tissue is a difficult challenge.

Permanent hair removal

• Electrolysis
• Laser
• Intense Pulsed Light (Flashlamp, EpiLight) The terms IPL and EpiLight are trademarks of Lumenis Ltd.
• Prescription oral medications
• A new method of epilation is to use enzymes that inhibit the development of new hair cells. Hair growth will become less and less until it finally stops, normal depilation/epilation will be performed during that time. Products include the prescription drug Vaniqa (active ingredient eflornithine hydrochloride inhibiting the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase).

Experimental or banned, currently not available

• X-ray hair removal This method was an efficient, and usually permanent, hair removal method, but also caused severe health problems, occasional disfigurement, and even death.^[6] (illegal in the United States)
• Photodynamic therapy for hair removal (experimental)

Doubtful methods

Many methods have been proposed or sold over the years without published clinical proof they can work as claimed.

• Electric tweezers
• Transdermal electrolysis
• Transcutaneous hair removal
• Photoepilators
• Microwaves
• Foods and Dietary supplements
• Nonprescription topical preparations (also called "hair inhibitors," "hair retardants," or "hair growth inhibitors")

Advantages and disadvantages

There are several disadvantages to many of these hair removal methods. Many are not permanent and many can cause medical problems or the costs are very high. Many of these methods are still in the testing phase and the methods have not been clinically proven. One should seek the advice of a doctor supervised facility when choosing a hair removal method.

One issue that can be considered an advantage or a disadvantage depending upon an individual's viewpoint is that removing hair has the effect of removing information about the individual's hair growth patterns due to genetic predisposition, illness, androgen levels (such as from pubertal hormonal imbalances or drug side effects), and/or gender status.

Health risks

A variety of staph infection, known as "community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus" (MRSA), was identified following an outbreak among gay men in Los Angeles in 2003. Among the risk factors for transmission of the infection identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is "compromised skin integrity." Researchers with the Connecticut Department of Public Health determined that manscaping (hair removal performed with a dry safety razor and powder) could produce micro-abrasions of the skin, compromising its integrity. Men who manscaped were six times more likely to contract the disease. This drug-resistant strain of Staphylococcus A. has been found prevalently among gay and bisexual men, athletes, prisoners and Native Americans. [2]

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